There are several known methods of securing a sink to a counter top depending upon the circumstances, where the sink is to be mounted, and the type of sink, for example, an over-the-counter or under-the-counter sink. Traditionally, over-the-counter sinks 10, FIG. 1, are secured to the counter top 12 using a mounting clip 14 which is disposed within a channel 22 in a lip portion 24 of the sink 10. The mounting clip 14 generally includes a threaded fastener 16 having a head portion 18 and a counter top engaging portion 20. The head portion 18 is generally sized to fit within the channel 22 disposed along the lip portion 24 of the sink 10.
To mount the sink 10 to the counter top 12, the user first places the sink 10 within an opening 26 in the counter top 12. Next, the user inserts the head portion 18 of one or more clips 14 within the channel 22. The counter top engagement section portion 20 includes a tip portion 28 which engages the bottom surface 30 of the counter top 12. The user secures the sink 10 to the counter top 12 by then rotating the threaded aperture 16 until the counter top engagement portion 28 and in particular the tip 28 is tight and the sink 10 is secure.
The known method of securing an over-the-counter sink 10 to a counter top 12 suffers from several limitations. For example, the mounting clips 14 must be inserted into the channel 22 once the sink 10 has been placed within the aperture 26 in the counter 12. This can be difficult especially when the channel 22 is in a difficult place to reach, for example along a back wall.
Another problem with the known method results from the variations among the thickness of the counter top 12. For example, referring specifically to FIG. 2, when the depth D of the counter top 12 is larger than the distance A between the clip engagement tip 28 and the lip 24 of the sink 10, a cavity 32 must be drilled into the counter top 12 prior to placing the sink 10 within the aperture 26 in the counter top 12. This greatly increases the amount of labor necessary to install the sink 10 because it adds additional steps to the mounting process. Additionally, drilling the cavities 32 can be difficult especially depending upon the type of material which the counter top 12 is made from and the circumstances of the installation, for example the location and proximity of walls, pipes, electrical lines, equipment, etc. Also, the cavities 32 must be created prior to installing the sink 10 and the user must align the clips into the cavity 32 which can be difficult especially in tight places. Furthermore, the counter top 12 may not be large enough to drill into and create the cavities 32.
Accordingly, what is needed is a sink clip that can be attached to the sink prior to installing the sink within the opening of the counter top. Additionally, the clip should work with a wide variety of counter top thicknesses and should not require drilling cavities into the counter top.